CLANDESTINE : Spencer Reid

30

As if by magic, I make it back Friday night. It's a rush to get perfectly ready for the flight on Saturday morning, and I barely sleep, but I board the plan on time. Caro hugs me tighter than she ever has before. Her arms squeeze around me. My brothers are enthusiastic in our own ways. To be honest, I didn't really care about disappointing them.

New York City is crawling with tourists, and as a traveller, I loathe them. We are only there for a few days, halfway into the week. Bastien convinces us all to go out to a bar. Caro is upset by the whole ordeal and she practically hangs at my side in there. Stéphane turns down a cute girl, and I can feel Caro huff. She's serious about us needing dates for her wedding. They've got a venue, but there's been an issue with dates. If she doesn't let me know soon, we might end up repeating the lead up to this trip. Even if it's been fun.

We make plans for Christmas, which will be in the country this year, and since Stéphane and I flew up to them, everyone is going to stay at my place in DC.

Now I'm going to actually have to try to get a new apartment.

That is how I spend most of my free time in October. The others go out on assignments every week, and twice I spend my lunch hour without them pouring through different places. I take Estelle on a few tours. There's a swanky loft apartment and I see her eyes light up inside it, but there is no way we could ever cover the rent.

"Okay, so this place doesn't have in-unit laundry, but it's super cheap and we'd be able to put in an office," Estelle passes me a print of one of the places she's picked.

I shake my head, "in-unit laundry is my non-negotiable."

"A dishwasher is my non-negotiable, but I gave up on that," she huffs.

"I'll wash your dishes."

"I'll do your laundry."

I roll my eyes, shoving that one aside. I flip through a few of the places we've picked.

"You can have the bigger bedroom there. You could fit a desk."

Estelle groans, "you exasperate me. I need a separate room to think."

I shift through the stack once more. I hover over one, looking at the pictures. It's got massive windows, and a balcony. A tub, unfortunately, since Estelle isn't keen on having a tub when we could get a standing shower. It does have a dishwasher. No in-unit laundry, but there is one bedroom that is sort of squished in on the opposite side of the kitchen that we can use as an office. The building has a lot of amenities, including a workout facility, a lounge you can book, and a communal study space.

"That place?" she crinkles her nose as she peers over my shoulder. Then, she shrugs, "cheaper than the loft at least."

We end up snagging it just in time. They'll let us move in at the beginning of December, and then I have to spend the rest of October beginning to pack. Moving so much you start to dwindle down on your things. I don't have anything from my childhood anymore, but I'm sure Stéphane managed to squirrel away all of the stuff that matters. Still, a year in this place, as cramped as it is, and I've got so much. Junk drawers with dozens of pens that have dried up. At least it's like the weather. It's a dry October.

On Halloween, Estelle is going out with some of her colleagues to a party. She invited me, passingly, but we both know I have no interested in going. All of her academia friends don't exactly enjoy talking to me. I'm coming up on one year in this role and I'm finding I have less and less in common with the doctoral candidates who struggle to pay for drinks. For the first time in my life, I actually have savings.